Farming is a gamble, something even backyard vegetable gardeners know all too well.
This year, some of us beat the typical first frost (32 degrees or below). At the recording station at the Yakima Air Terminal, it was expected around Oct. 3, 2024, with an historical range from as late as Oct. 25 to as early as Sept. 13.
Many gardeners in colder areas have already met Jack Frost. Whenever he comes, the season will end for many tender summer crops that may still be hanging on.
In the meantime, many Yakima gardeners may find themselves with an abundance of green tomatoes.
My grandmother used up every single one by canning green tomato mincemeat for Thanksgiving pies. I wasn’t a fan as a child, and I haven’t changed my mind. I feel the same way about fried green tomatoes.
Some tired gardeners surrender and send their unripe crop straight to the compost pile.
However, if you have some energy and patience left, you can ripen those green tomatoes indoors.
Ripening is a natural process, and tomatoes rely on ethylene gas—not sunlight—to ripen. Keeping green tomatoes in a confined, temperature-controlled area once harvested will allow the process to continue indoors.
Here are a few ways to get the best results.
If your tomatoes have already started to show some ripened color, put them on a kitchen counter or shelf out of direct sun and watch them slowly ripen.
Tomatoes will ripen better if they have reached “mature green.” At the mature green stage, tomatoes are almost full grown, but don’t show any pink color yet. Cream-colored streaks are noticeable at the blossom end. The skin is tougher and not easily broken, and the fruit yields to slight hand pressure.
Tomatoes are considered mature enough for saving if the pulp that surrounds the seeds has become jellylike and the seeds slip aside and cannot be cut by a sharp knife when the fruit is sliced. Tomatoes that have not developed the jellylike condition and have soft, white seeds that are easily cut are too immature for harvesting with the hope of ripening.
Immature tomatoes, if they ripen at all, ripen much slower than mature green tomatoes and usually shrivel in the ripening process. This results in poorly colored fruits with poor taste and texture. Don’t waste your time.
Harvest tomatoes from vigorous vines since tomatoes from declining vines are more subject to decay. Tomatoes tend to ripen best with part of the stem left on.
Late-season tomatoes can carry various fungus and molds so wash and dry them after harvesting. This will help to remove dirt, bugs, fungus and other molds.
The easiest method may be to put green tomatoes inside a paper bag, roll the bag shut, and keep it in a location around 70°F to 75°F, such as the kitchen counter. Check the tomatoes daily and remove any that have ripened or started to mold.
If you have a lot of tomatoes, you can ripen them in cardboard boxes. Place the fruit stem-side down on a layer of newspaper. Cover with another layer of paper on top. In our dry climate, this helps retain some humidity to prevent the tomatoes from shriveling. Do not stack more than three layers of fruit. The tomatoes should not touch each other. Store the box at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomatoes may ripen faster this way than they would outdoors during cool weather. Check the tomatoes on a regular basis and discard any rotting ones before they contaminate other fruit.
I haven’t tried this method, but some Master Gardener Extension sites suggest pulling the tomato plant up by the roots before frost and hanging it where temperatures are 50°F or higher. The fruit will ripen over an extended period.
The most rapid ripening occurs at 65°F to 70°F. Tomatoes ripened at 60°F are firmer and have less decay than fruits ripened at 70°F, although it takes longer. Don’t store tomatoes below 50°F or they will spoil.
Putting a ripe banana or apple inside the box will speed up ripening even more.
Perhaps no one knows more about green tomatoes than the University of Alaska Extension in Fairbanks. Reading over their list of recipes, a green tomato hater like me is almost convinced that green tomatoes just might be tasty. Check them out at yhne.ws/harvestgreentomatoes.
• Carol Barany and her husband, John, found paradise on 1 1/3 acres just west of Franklin Park, where they raised three children and became Master Gardeners. Contact her at florabundance14@gmail.com.